Terraria NPC / Characters

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The various friendly non-player characters that will join or interact with the player on their quest in Terraria.

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Town NPC

These NPCs can move into a player's town if they have: a room with light, a large item (such as a table, dresser, bookshelf, etc.) and a comfort item (such as a chair, bench, bed, etc.), a door and some criteria specific to the NPC.

As a Whole

Action Girl: Each and every one of the female NPCs can defend themselves when push comes to shove.
Action Survivor: Most of them are relatively normal people with normal jobs- unfortunately, being 'normal' isn't enough to protect you in the Death World that is Terraria.
Badass Bystander: Some of them - such as the Demolitionist and the Arms Dealer - are more dangerous than others, but they're all very capable of defending themselves if they need to.
Badass Crew: They can all participate in combat, and can easily become this if enough are gathered in one place.
Damsel in Distress/Distressed Dude: The Goblin Tinkerer, Stylist, Mechanic and Wizard are all initially found tied up in one place or another, and must be freed to be recruited.
The Dividual: Every NPC changes name whenever they respawn after death, implying that they're different people of the same profession... and appearance. Regardless, they're all treated as the same person. This even applies to the Dryad, who is said to be the last of her kind despite being just as plentiful in supply as anybody else.
Dungeon Shop: They can live anywhere that isn't the Corruption or Crimson, as long as it fits the requirements for a house—including underground, producing this trope.
Idle Animation: Are prone to these when the PC isn't interacting with them. This includes talking to and playing games with fellow NPCs and sitting on nearby chairs.
Improbable Weapon User: Most of the NPC's whose functions aren't directly related to combat tend to be this. Examples include the Nurse and her needles, the Party Girl's Confetti Guns, and the Truffle's spores.
Jerkass Ball: When a blood moon happens, most ^note of the female NPCs become irritable and rude.
Love Dodecahedron: The Nurse likes the Arms Dealer. The Arms Dealer reciprocates, but is also not above flirting with the Dryad and Mechanic, neither of which like him back. The Mechanic, meanwhile, has a mutual attraction with the Goblin Tinkerer, but neither of them is willing to voice it.
Relationship Chart: An invisible graph determines how each NPC feels about their neighbor NPC types, which affects how happy they are (and in turn, how effective their services are). Sometimes putting two NPCs as neighbors is an obvious choice (ex. the Arms Dealer and the Nurse are in love and have each other as their most-preferred neighbor), while others aren't so mutual (ex. the Merchant hates being taxed, but the Tax Collector strongly respects the Merchant's money-savviness).
Took a Level in Badass:
- A meta-example: prior to the 1.3 release, the NPCs were defenseless against enemies and reliant on the player to deal with any attackers. The 1.3 update armed them and made them ready to fight anything that invades the town.
- And more straightforwardly: once you reach Hardmode, some of the NPCs switch to more powerful weapons, and can utterly decimate even (pre-Hardmode) bosses without breaking a sweat.

Individual NPCs

Guide

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

They say there is a person who will tell you how to survive in this land... oh wait. That's me.

The Guide always offers useful advice and crafting recipes. His origins and unusual connections to this world remain a mystery.

The first NPC, who you start out with in every world. As befits his name he guides you with tips of varying levels of helpfulness, and if you show him any material item he can tell you what can be crafted from it.

Ambiguous Situation: How the Wall of Flesh is connected to him. Is he a manifestation of the Wall of Flesh, or the other way around? Is he a person-shaped can? Does he know about his supposed relation to the Wall of Flesh? There's a lot of in-game dialogue that hints towards a connection, but it's never explicit. The Tavernkeep notes that the Guide has some sort of dark aura about him, the Cyborg used to refer to the Guide as "the Wall of (Guide's name)", and if the Guide respawns after Wall of Flesh is beaten and is talked to, the new Guide mentions the original burst into flames from his voodoo doll being dunked in lava — but nothing of note beyond that.
Badass Normal: The most "average" of the NPCs and besides having a vast amount of insight he's seemingly normal, yet can still hold a fight along with the rest of them when pushed enough times.
The Chosen One: Several bestiary entries indicate that the Guide is considered a Chosen One and his soul is linked to the Guardian of the world (aka the Wall of Flesh)... but his purpose is to guide the hero, not to be the hero. The game heavily implies that there's more going on with him than meets the eye, though.
The Generic Guy: Besides his knowledge, he's just a normal guy. His dialogue has very little personality to it, besides a couple of lines — one of which is his image quote.
[During a Blood Moon]: "If you were to look up, you'd see that the moon is red right now."
"Hey, buddy, do you know where any deathweed is? Oh, no reason; just wondering, is all".
Guide Dang It!: His purpose is to avert this for new players: if you give him a crafting material, he can tell you everything you can make with it, where it can be crafted, and the crafting recipe itself. He will also tell you the next possible objectives towards progression (at least until the later portions of Hardmode).
The Omniscient: He's suspiciously knowledgeable on game mechanics. Some of his advice like using tools to break things or going to certain areas when the player is strong enough are obvious enough. Others, like "search the haunted dungeon where people are killed on sight for any prisoners" or how he seems to know about the Wizard's presence^note would take some rather wide stretches of logic to come to the conclusion of. At times, his surprisingly specific dialogue can read like a snippet from a GameFAQs guide.
The Scrappy: Invoked. He originally got hate from the beginning for appearing in every world, being unkillable, and subject to mass Artificial Stupidity, especially pertaining to doors and monsters. At this point he's somewhat become the Scrappy in-game, with other NPCs occasionally making comments about how much they're annoyed with his antics. Which at least helps the player feel better about repeatedly killing the Guide to do battle with the Wall of Flesh. In the 1.4 update, killing him will give you Good Luck for 4 minutes while killing any other NPC gives you Bad Luck.
Shaped Like Itself: As shown in the caption quote, one of the first tips you receive from the Guide is that there is a Guide, although he quickly realizes how redundant this information is.
The Smart Guy: Both of the booksmart and Street Smart variety.
Smug Super: See the caption quote. Now remember this is the same guy who holds every single bit of knowledge of the world of Terraria.
The Straight and Arrow Path: Uses a simple Wooden Bow to defend himself if forced into combat. Come Hardmode, he upgrades to flaming arrows.
Voodoo Doll: You can find his in the clutch of Demons flying about in the Underworld. Equipping it allows the player to attack the Guide even though NPCs are normally immune to player attacks, and tossing it into lava instantly kills him. However, a doll incinerated in the Underworld (whether tossed by a player or simply dropped by a killed Demon and not caught) will summon the Wall of Flesh.

Merchant

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

Did you say gold? I'll take that off of ya.

The Merchant acts as a simple general store of sorts, providing useful starter tools and supplies needed for exploration.

As the player amasses more money (50 or more silver), the Merchant will appear to relieve them of that burdensome cash. He sells mostly general use items, some potions, and spare tools in case the player loses theirs and lacks the materials to make more.

Anti-Frustration Features: He will sell the Furnace if he's housed in a Jungle biome. It seems unusual until you try the "not the bees" seed added in 1.4 where the entire world consists of Jungle which means practically no stone at all. Because the Merchant initially spawns instead of the Guide, you'll have access to a Furnace.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Lies that he doesn't periodically sell junk and believes the moon is made out of cheese yet is essential early on, all the while keeping to his promise that his prices aren't high as they could be.
Crutch Character: The wares he sells are useful in the early game, but by the time Hardmode comes around just about all of them have been surpassed in function or usefulness.
Honest John's Dealership: Judging by his dialog. He's constantly trying to foist off items of dubious usefulness like "perfectly ventilated armor". Despite his claims of not being a junk dealer, he's tried to sell useless angel statues to other NPCs, and he sells dirt blocks for exorbitant prices on the international market.

Nurse

^{Click here to see her Shimmered form}

Would you like a lollipop?

The Nurse's snarky attitude and poor bedside manner may be scary, but for a price, she will cure all that ails a wounded Terrarian.

The nurse will move in once a player has found a heart crystal to expand their maximum health above the starting 100. For a price, she can restore the player back to full health in an instant, and remove any debuffs.

Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: As of Patch 1.4, the Nurse's price for healing you will increase as you progress through the game.
All Periods Are PMS: All of the female characters get really nasty during a Blood Moon, which the devs have confirmed is a joking reference to periods. The Nurse is no exception, as her lines become various levels of bitchy, either accusing the player of being a hypochondriac or complaining that they dare to get injured.
Amusing Injuries: Several of her lines has her casually mentioning re-attached body parts or other grievous wounds.
Combat Medic: Will heal herself or other wounded NPCs after attacked, and when not helping her allies stay alive she'll be fighting off enemies with poisoned needles.
Double Entendre: Her dialogue is loaded with medical themed sexual innuendo.
Dr. Jerk: She tends to become a bit sarcastic, especially when the player wants her to heal them at high health. Approach her on the brink of death, and she'll quickly lose this attitude.
Healing Shiv: She also throws needles at the NPCs to heal them, and will occasionally use them to heal herself. She throws poisoned needles at enemies instead.
Hospital Hottie: Is a nurse and is considered very attractive In-Universe. Her dialogue is also loaded with medical themed innuendo.
Ship Tease: She loves having the Arms Dealer as a neighbor, and occasionally asks does he need a doctor checkup. However, when asked about her Happiness when Arms Dealer is her neighbor…
Nurse: What? [The Arms Dealer]? I don't have a crush! I don't! Shut up!
Tsundere: The Nurse can come off as this: Some of her quotes suggest a Team Mom mentality, others that she only sticks around because you pay her.
Turn Your Head and Cough: One of the random quotes when you talk to her, even if your character is female.
White Mage: Her Shimmered form implies this with her cleric outfit and her occupation in healing.

Demolitionist

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

NO SMOKING IN HERE!!!

Tread carefully around this dwarf. The Demolitionist is an explosive fanatic and sells dangerous things that go 'Boom!'

A dwarf who moves in after you find grenades/dynamite or craft sticky bombs and can sell you more of them and with many other explosive products.

Anti-Frustration Features: He spawns in place of the Guide in a "for the worthy" world to offset the fact that any bombs spawned by pots are lit and will explode, thus still giving you a way to obtain normal bombs.
Ax-Crazy: This guy is a little too fond of explosive tumult.
Badass Bystander: Most NPCs are only of moderate help if enemies get into your house. The Demolitionist, on the other hand, has an inexaustible supply of grenades, and is very eager to use them; this makes him a very useful ally to have on your side during Blood Moons and Invasions, especially in Expert Mode.
Grenade Spam: Defends himself through the use of Grenades.
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: If you talk to him, he may ask you to sign a "Griefing Waiver".
Our Dwarves Are All the Same: He has many of the stereotypical dwarf's traits.
- He is significantly shorter than other NPCs, has a beard, and prefers to live underground.
- His mining helmet, lantern, and wares all reference how Dwarves are known for being great spelunkers.
- He loves living near the Tavernkeep, referencing how much dwarves like to drink.
- His Shimmered form even sports a horned helmet, which Dwarves are commonly depicted wearing.
The Rival: To the Arms Dealer. They hate having each other as neighbors.
Stuff Blowing Up: His speciality.
When All You Have Is a Hammer…: As mentioned below, he enthusiastically endorses the judicious application of explosives for any and all problem-solving needs you may have. In fairness to him, he's usually right.
Your Answer to Everything: Got a problem, any problem? Easy — blow it up.

Dye Trader

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

I bring you the richest colors in exchange for your riches!

Eccentric and rather snobby to a fault, the Dye Trader has expensive tastes. He is passionate about the materials used in the dyes he sells.

A trader and purveyor of dyes, who wears a colorful Arabian-styled outfit and shows up after the player obtains a dye ingredient. He sells the Dye Vat, which allows the player to start making their own dyes from natural resources. If you bring him particularly exotic plants, he will trade them for special, magical dyes.

"Arabian Nights" Days: He rocks this general aesthetic, prefers to live in the desert, and makes passing references to the associated cultural tropes. He even uses a scimitar to defend himself.
Dye Trader: (When living by himself) My dear, this palace is quiet enough to sleep like a sultan!
Color-Coded Multiplayer: In a multiplayer server, he sells Team Dye that changes the color of the armor/clothing that it's applied to the respective color of the team if you are on one.
Global Currency Exception: Like the Tavernkeep. He sells some items for typical Terrarian cash, but he'll only trade his most exotic dyes in exchange for Strange Plants.
The Fashionista: He's the most colorfully dressed, and all of his lines to the player are about dyes and/or appearance. For bonus points, he has a habit of referring to the player as "my dear."
The Prima Donna: Downplayed. He has a lot of the tropes typically associated with this archetype; he's very haughty, has a sharp eye for fashion sense, frequently refers to players of either gender as "my dear," and tends to look down on anybody he sees as being "uncouth." That said, he lacks the more negative traits of the archetype.
Shout-Out: His line about rich mahogany is a reference to Anchorman.

Dryad

^{Click here to see her Shimmered form}

Be safe. Terraria needs you!

The Dryad is the last of her kind. She is connected with nature and can analyze its purity worldwide. She sells seeds, too!

A centuries-old Nature Spirit, who will move in if you have defeated one of the regular pre-Hardmode bosses. She sells various natural items like acorns and seeds, and she can tell how corrupt the world has become (and will rebuke you for it).

All Periods Are PMS: During the blood moon, but not as bad as the Nurse and Mechanic.
Clothing Appendage: According to Redigit, the vines are not clothes, but a part of her body.
A Day in the Limelight: She becomes a playable character in Dungeon Defenders II.
Garden Garment: She's clad in naught but vines and leaves. Players can also buy it during Halloween and wear it themselves.
Green Thumb: Nearly everything she sells has something to do with growing vegetation or altering nature. When monsters are nearby, she'll cast a barrier of leaves that buffs up the defense nearby players and NPCs, increases their life regeneration, and gives them the Thorns ability. The more bosses you defeat, the more powerful the barrier gets against enemies.
Informed Attribute: The game's lore event states that she's the last Dryad. Despite this, she respawns with a different name every time she dies, indicating that each Dryad that comes into your town is different.
The Last of Her Kind: The 8th anniversary lore event reveals that there were once many more dryads, but all but a single member perished banishing the Moon Lord to the dark side of the moon.
Ms. Fanservice: Downplayed due to the tiny pixel art style of the game, but the vines have the appearance of a stripperiffic outfit, and there's a risqué painting of her that can appear in the Dungeon that shows off part of her butt.
Nice Girl: She's one of the kinder NPCs in the game (when it's not a Blood Moon), passionate about the wellbeing of her neighbors and the environment and one of the few people who is on good terms with the Truffle.
Only Friend: She's the only NPC the Truffle gets along with (since she is the only one who hadn't tried to eat him or use him in a potion).
"I feel like [Truffle] is a bit misunderstood, he really is a fun guy."
Our Fairies Are Different: Being a dryad, she's a fey creature associated with plantlife and happens to be one of the few fairies in the game who has a humanoid shape.
Plant Person: Has vines as a part of her body. This may also apply to her hair (which is the same color on her sprite, but not in the "Dryadisque" Dungeon painting).
Pungeon Master: Downplayed. She puns more frequently and more noticeably than the other NPCs, and seems to enjoy them for their own sake.
Really 700 Years Old: "I wish [Arms Dealer] would stop flirting with me. Doesn't he realize I'm 500 years old?"
Shout-Out: "The sands of time are flowing, and you are not aging gracefully."
- Another reference is one of her possible names being "Celestia".
- Her Shimmered form is a pixelated version of her corrupted form seen in Dungeon Defenders II.
Status Buff: When threatened, she will generate an aura that boosts all nearby Non Player Characters and players by increasing their defense and regen, while giving them a permanent Thorns effect. On enemies, however, the aura burns them for a small amount of Damage Over Time.
Thong of Shielding: If the "Dryadisque" painting is accurate, the vines barely cover her rear.
Transflormation: The credits sequence shows that she can transform herself into a tree.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: She encourages the player character to make the world a Crapsaccharine World by spreading the Hallow, although as of 1.3 she'll praise the player even more for completely purifying the world.

Arms Dealer

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

Hey, this ain't a movie, pal. Ammo is extra.

The Arms Dealer has everything anyone could need to shoot things dead, from little round bullets to guns made from sharks.

He moves in after you find a gun. He sells guns and bullets, and will also sell you illegal gun parts if you catch him at the right time.

Arms Dealer: Of the Gun Shop Owner type. He can sell you illegal parts, however.
Blood Knight: He loves the sheer amount of enemies he has the chance to kill during Blood Moons. After all, it's much more fun than trying to hold a conversation with his neighbors while the event lends most of them their own Jerkass Ball.
Bottomless Magazines: He lampshades the trope; just see his quote under his picture up above.
Casanova Wannabe: He has a tendency to flirt with the ladies. The Dryad is sick of him doing so with her due to the massive age difference, and the Mechanic already has a crush on the Goblin Tinkerer and is completely oblivious to his innuendo-laden jokes. The Nurse is the only one who appreciates his feelings, as evidenced by several of her quotes, and he may occasionally mention that he's preparing for a date with her or say that he's into what she's selling.
Covert Pervert: If the Halloween event is any indication, he's not above having spare of the Nurse's clothes lying around and selling them.
Double Entendre: He may mention that he "wants what the Nurse is selling" and the Mechanic may mention that he's asked her if he could press her pressure plates.
Friend in the Black Market: He's.. not very subtle about his illicit connections. Part of why he likes living in the Desert is because there's plenty of solitude for him to do "business."
The Gunslinger: Wields either a Flintlock Pistol pre-hardmode, or a Minishark post-hardmode.
More Dakka: The guy loves his firearms. He also sells the infamous Minishark, which can then be upgraded into the extremely fast-firing Megashark.
The Rival: To the Demolitionist. They hate having each other as neighbors.
Shotguns Are Just Better: He sells them in hardmode.
You Do NOT Want To Know: It's best he didn't answer HOW he made the Minishark, even stating this trope's name in a conversation with the player.

Tavernkeep

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

They say you're strong, well, I know strong. Let's see if you measure up.

The Tavern Keep once managed a bar in another universe. He's here to help stop the Old One's Army from conquering this world.

A new NPC introduced in 1.3.4 who can be encountered as an unconscious man on the surface level after the Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu has been killed. He's unique in that most of the items he sells can only be bought using Defender Medals. He sells the items required to summon the Old One's Army, as well as several weapons useful for completing the event.

Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: The Eternia Crystals he sells increase in price at fixed points throughout the game, one of the only purchasable items to do so.
Everyone Has Standards: He refuses to sell ale to the Angler, due to him being underage. This is the reason why the Angler hates him.
Global Currency Exception: You can use Terrarian cash to buy the two things you need to summon the Old One's Army, as well as ale, from him. Everything else in his inventory can only be bought with Defender Medals.
Grievous Bottley Harm: Defends himself against monsters by throwing mugs of ale at them.
Guest Fighter: Originally from Dungeon Defenders 2.
His Name Really Is "Barkeep": One of his possible names is literally "Barkeep". ...which would make him Barkeep the Tavernkeep.
Mr. Exposition: With regards to the Old One's Army.
Non-Standard Character Design: Most human NPCs in the game have a sort of "template" that they usually are drawn on. The Tavernkeep is the exception, as his shut-eyed face, burly arms, and larger physique indicates.
Shout-Out: Setting aside the fact that he's literally a Guest Fighter from Dungeon Defenders 2, many of his quotes are mythology gags about his home series.
- "<Dryad> seems nice. I should bring her back with me." Also, "Anyone see where <Dryad> went?^Explanation
- "Have you seen any Meburs around here?" ^Explanation
- "Do you think <Steampunker> has an extra of that gun? I know a witch that may want one."/"I know a Lavamancer that would really like that hellstone down in the underworld."^Explanation
- "Moon Lord, don't you mean Abyss Lord?"^Explanation
Odd Friendship: Surprisingly, even though he came from a world where goblins are Always Chaotic Evil, the Tavernkeep gets along well with Goblin Tinkerer, and likes having him around as a neighbor.
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Averted. His catalog of items are all related to the Old One's Army event, but the exception is that he'll still sell pints of normal ale, fulfilling his bartending role.

Painter

No, no, no... There's TONS of different grays! Don't get me started...

The Painter can talk about all the different shades of colors with which one can paint the walls. He'll sell but a handful of them!

He's a painter dressed in a red cap and white overalls, who shows up once you have 8 other NPCs. He sells everything you need to paint your world and decorate your walls, as well as a number of decorative paintings, particularly landscapes. Many of the paintings and wallpapers he sells depend on location and the moon phase.

Abnormal Ammo: Uses a Paintball Gun in self-defense.
Shout-Out:
- His dialogue and name pool make several references to other painters, particularly Bob Ross.
- One of the wallpapers he sells is called Purple Rain Wallpaper.
- One of his random names is Mario. Considering his red-themed clothing, overalls and a certain game that had to do about painting, the reference is sound.
- His Shimmered form resembles Vincent van Gogh.

Angler

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

I don't have a mommy or a daddy, but I have a lot of fish! It's close enough!

The Angler, a rude fishing genius, sends others to find weird, rare fish. He rewards random items, entertained by any misfortunes.

A child NPC who can first be found sleeping out on the ocean. He gives out rewards in exchange for finding special, rare fish.

All There in the Manual: His parents are absent in the game, but it's never actually stated where they are, what happened to them, or why the Angler is all alone. However, Red has stated on Reddit that his parents are the Bride and Groom, two specially costumed zombies that spawn during the Blood Moon.
Bratty Half-Pint: He's possibly the most annoying character in the game. At times he even refers to the player as an errand boy.
…But He Sounds Handsome: Sneakily inverted in his quest dialogue for the Scorpio Fish; he says that whoever told you there's no water (and therefore no fish) in the Desert must've been really stupid, but the only person who ever says anything like that is the Angler himself if you try housing him there.
Conveniently an Orphan: He may occasionally mention that he's parentless, which partially justifies why he can be found in the middle of nowhere in the Crapsaccharine World that is this game.
Improbable Infant Survival: Unlike the other NPCs, the Angler, due to being a child, just disappears in a puff of smoke when his health reaches 0, and the text states "[Angler name] has left".
Jerkass: This kid has nary a redeeming feature. He's an egotist who actively pulls cruel pranks on his neighbors and views the player as nothing more than a personal slave. Notably, only two NPCs like having the Angler around: the Pirate and the Golfer. And also the Princess, but she loves everyone.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: The Golfer thinks so, anyway, noting the Angler will retrieve the golf balls he hits into the water. He's also the only one who thinks that, and he knows it. The Princess also says that the Angler offers to take her fishing sometimes, but she loves everybody.
Kappa: Submerging Angler in Shimmer makes him turn into a tortoise humanoid and back into a human, visually looking like the stereotypical Kappa Yōkai. Mechanically it doesn't change anything.
Shamu Fu: Throws Frost Daggerfish to fight.
Skewed Priorities: When sending you to Sky Islands to catch a Cloudfish, he may talk about how Floating Islands are supposed to have "amazing treasure" - before completely brushing that idea off and demanding you go catch him his fish.
Small Name, Big Ego: Everyone else in his eyes are his underlings, despite the fact that unlike him they're all adults with a myriad of useful skills and wares.
Spoiled Brat: He frequently screams that he wants the daily quest fish immediately.
Ungrateful Bastard: You'd think he'd show some form of gratitude toward the player for rescuing him and taking him in, but nope, he never even mentions it.

Stylist

^{Click here to see her Shimmered form}

For you I think we'll do something... low maintenance.

The Stylist loves style, gossip, and hair. Aside from performing a miracle makeover, she sells some hair product as well.

A new NPC introduced in 1.2.3 that is found inside a spider nest, bounded by webs and can be freed. She can change your hair style and also sells various hair dyes.

Ax-Crazy: Downplayed Trope as she's only this on blood moons. The other female NPCs only go as far as telling you not to bug them. This one? She will threaten to go Sweeney Todd on you with her styling tools if you don't leave her alone.
All Periods Are PMS: During the Blood Moon, which the devs have confirmed is a joking reference to periods, she threatens you with her scissors and razor.
Color-Coded Multiplayer: In multiplayer servers, she sells Team Hair Dye that makes the player's hair change colors depending on what team they're on.
Damsel in Distress: You first find her tied up in a spider nest, and have to rescue her before she moves in.
The Fashionista: She's all about the freshest hair styles, defends herself with Stylish Scissors and has got a nice dress and pair of high heels.
Hairstyle Malfunction: Possibly. Upon her death, her head and hair split into two different chunks, unlike other long-haired NPCs. What little hair is attached to her head is a spiky, misshapen mess, and it might not all be that surprising given how she might complain of her hair being loaded with spider web when you rescue her.
Shear Menace: Uses Stylish Scissors when forced to fight monsters.
Serious Business: Bad hair days. She may mention a disastrous attempt to dye her hair using some of the Dye Trader's stock or comfort the player if they supposedly have an awful hair problem.

Goblin Tinkerer

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

Hey, does your hat need a motor? I think I have a motor that would fit exactly in that hat.

Exiled from the rest of goblinkind for being an intelligent pacifist, the Tinkerer sells tools for combining accessories into stronger versions.

After the player repels the first Goblin Invasion, the Goblin Tinkerer can be found underground. He is an invaluable asset to any player, for he can reforge the player's items to make them more powerful; he also sells a couple of items that are extremely useful in the mid-game (Rocket Boots for flying, and the Tinkerer's Workshop for combining items).

Expecting Someone Taller: Lampshaded.
Expospeak Gag: He says being near the Mechanic makes his "cardiac core to function improperly". She says the same thing about the Tinkerer, in plain language: "he makes my heart flutter".
Interspecies Romance: He and the Mechanic have a mutual crush on each other, and he loves having her as a neighbour.
Luck-Based Mission: Getting the right modifier for a weapon can cost immense amounts of time and money, especially if said item is incredibly expensive to buy/sell. But that Unreal Megashark is so tempting...
Meta Guy: He hangs a lot of lampshades on the goblins such as the fact that they carry the spike balls they drop, the true direction they approach from due to the sun's left-to-right pattern (making West and East flipped), the fact that thieves don't even steal anything and that tattered cloth from their scouts can be used to start a war with them.
My Species Doth Protest Too Much: If he's to be believed, most goblins are generally disagreeable, bumbling idiots. Not this guy; he's completely polite in his interactions with you and provides some useful tech. Naturally, he didn't really get along with the rest of his kind, and the reason you find him tied up in a cave is because the other goblins left him there.
Our Goblins Are Different: He's quite adept at technology, selling you the tinkerer's workshop, necessary to combine accesories, and also sells spike balls that can be used as traps.
Ship Tease: He's always asking about the Mechanic and loves having her as a neighbour.
Shout-Out: His name is a reference to Warcraft III's Goblin Tinker.
- "Hey, does your hat need a motor? I think I have a motor that would fit exactly in that hat."
- "Yo, I heard you like rockets and running boots, so I put some rockets in your running boots."
Smart People Wear Glasses: One of the more tech-savvy NPCs and the only intelligent goblin seen in-game, as evidenced by his nerd-ish attire including a pair of glasses.
Spike Balls of Doom: Throws Spiky Balls in self-defense against monsters.
Token Heroic Orc: The only goblin that isn't antagonistic.
Will They or Won't They?: Toward the Mechanic.

Witch Doctor

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

The heart of magic is nature. The nature of hearts is magic.

It's unusual for a Lihzahrd to be outside the Temple. Even more unusual are the voodoo things he sells. He prefers his jungle digs.

The Witch Doctor moves in after defeating the Queen Bee. He sells the imbuing station and various tribal-themed accessories and items.

Ambiguous Gender: None of the NPCs' conversations mention his gender at all and his mask obscures his facial features. Prior to Bestiary introduced in "Journey's End" update explicitly establishing him as male, the only way one could find out on their own was to mess around with King and Queen Statues; these statues can be used to teleport random NPCs of the corresponding gender.
Blow Gun: He wields a Blowpipe to defend himself when attacked.
Early-Bird Cameo: For the Lihzahrds in general, as he can move in as soon as you beat the Queen Bee, way before you enter the Lihzahrd temple to fight his more aggressive kin.
The Faceless: He's always seen with a skull mask that covers his face. A splash of shimmer changes the mask into a skull helmet, revealing it.
Lizard Folk: Word of God has offhandedly said that the Witch Doctor is a lihzahrd, and the bestiary outright confirms it. Also, a quick comparison of the Lihzahrd and Witch Doctor sprites makes it clear by way of several shared features; a tail, green skin, and head frills, the last being partially obscured by the Witch Doctor's mask.
Pungeon Master: Several of his lines involve wordplay.
Token Heroic Orc: The only Lihzahrd in the game that doesn't attack you on sight.
Witch Doctor: It's in the title, after all.

Clothier

Of course embroidery is hard! If it wasn't hard, no one would do it! That's what makes it great.

Once trapped under a curse, the Clothier is the master of thread. If it's fashion that's desired, he's the man! He talks in a familiar way.

Formerly a slave of Skeletron who could be found wandering outside of the dungeon, he moves in once his master has been slain, selling clothes.

Bad Powers, Good People: From 1.3 onward, he will fend off invading monsters by launching Shadowflame skulls at them.
Back from the Dead: Summoning Skeletron undoubtedly kills him, as the process of Skeletron emerging tears him apart from the inside out, but he appears later perfectly fine and with only very vague hints as to how he came back.
Cartesian Karma: He's hated as a neighbour by the Mechanic because he threw her into the Dungeon while he was cursed and brainwashed. He does mention inexplicably hating her, a remnant of his curse.
Casting a Shadow: He primarily uses shadow magic to defend himself.
Dark Is Not Evil: Going by his means of self-defense and the fact Skeletron bursts out of his corpse if you personally kill him at night, the Clothier still has some connection to Skeletron even without his curse. However, he's just another friendly NPC who never harms the player or the other NPCs on his own, and none the items he sells have any application in combat either.
Deal with the Devil: Implied to be a possible explanation for his status as the keeper of the Dungeon—he refers to Skeletron as "his master" and is capable of using powerful bone magic (even after being freed) against enemies.
Demonic Possession: Considering he has Red Eyes, Take Warning before he's set free as well as the fact that Skeletron bursts out of him, it's heavily implied that this is the case with him.
Earn Your Happy Ending: He's extremely grateful towards the player for freeing him from Skeletron's control.
Faustian Rebellion: See Deal with the Devil.
Fountain of Youth: Shimmering him makes him appear much younger, gaining blonde hair and losing his facial hair. However, when Shimmered as the Old Man he keeps his beard and is still referred to as the "Old Man", implying that Shimmering him just makes him look younger.
Irrational Hatred: He hates the Mechanic as a neighbor, even though his curse was uplifted, and he himself doesn't know why. It's implied to be the after-effect of his curse.
Ludicrous Gibs: He violently explodes into Skeletron if you ask him about the curse if he hasn't been freed yet.
Not Quite Back to Normal: After being freed from his curse, he still has remnants of it. Namely, being able to use shadow magic.
One-Winged Angel: If it's night time and he hasn't been freed, talking to him and agreeing to fight Skeletron will result in the beast bloodily ripping itself out of him and tossing his dismembered body aside to fight you. He can also do this after he's been freed when you kill him with the clothier voodoo doll, although considering all he's been through it makes the player look like more of a dick.
Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: He really wants to eat the Truffle. This is even reflected in their preferences: the Clothier loves having him as a neighbor, while the Truffle himself, on the other hand, dislikes that.
Shout-Out: Nearly every line he says is a reference to a Tom Hanks movie.
Spell Book: Uses the Book of Skulls to attack monsters. In hardmode, he begins using a special version that also inflicts the Shadowflame debuff on enemies.
Video Game Cruelty Potential: If you want to obtain his hat, you need to get him killed, and if you want to challenge Skeletron again you need to kill him yourself while you are equipped with his voodoo doll at night. He'll uneasily comment on it if you talk to him while wearing said hat.
Voodoo Doll: Now dropped by Skeletons in the dungeon, in-case you aren't bothered to build an elaborate lava trap to get his hat. Killing him this way will summon Skeletron again if it's night.

Mechanic

^{Click here to see her Shimmered form}

Oh, you know what this house needs? More blinking lights.

The Mechanic was imprisoned for her aptitude in engineering. She sells wiring and tools for putting together anything imaginable.

Like the goblin, she's also bound, and found in the dungeon. She sells wires and wiring tools.

All Periods Are PMS: During the blood moon.
Distressed Damsel: While he was still cursed the Clothier tied her up and tossed her into the dungeon, and the player has to save her before she moves in.
Gadgeteer Genius: She is the one who was captured by the cultists and forced to build the three Mechanical Bosses. Also, she and the Steampunker were ones who created the Cyborg.
Interspecies Romance: She's a human, has a crush on the Goblin Tinkerer, and she loves having him as a neighbour. Averted when she's Shimmered, where she becomes a goblin like her crush.
Letting Her Hair Down: She usually wears her hair in a bun, but she wears it long during parties.
Oblivious to Love: She doesn't understand the Arms Dealer's comments about "pushing her pressure plate". On the other hand, she appears to have a mutual crush on the Goblin Tinkerer.
Ship Tease: She's always asking about the goblin tinkerer and loves having him as a neighbour.
Will They or Won't They?: Towards the Tinkerer.
Wrench Wench: She even throws boomerang-like wrenches in self defense.

Party Girl

^{Click here to see her Shimmered form}

We have to talk. It's... it's about parties.

Positive beyond comprehension, the Party Girl will use any excuse to celebrate. She sells party favors and flashy things.

The party girl moves if you have at least 14 NPCs living in houses, with a 2.5% chance of doing so each day while the population remains at or above that number. She sells party supplies, including fireworks.

All Periods Are PMS: She's one of the only two female NPCs that averts this during the Blood Moon.
Genki Girl: Just like the pony she's based off, most of the thoughts running through her mind are about fun and parties.
Improbable Weapon User: Uses Happy Grenades in self-defense.
Joke Item: All of her items have no real significance for actual combat or other tasks but just there to, well, party.
Left the Background Music On: She can invoke this trope as a unique function introduced in 1.4, allowing the player to toggle between Terraria's soundtrack and the previously-unreleased soundtrack of Terraria: Otherworld.
Lethal Joke Item: The Fireworks she sells in Hardmode can kill enemies and even bosses, and the Confetti she sells can be combined with empty casings from the Arms Dealer to make Confetti Ammunition, which is more powerful than all pre-Hard Mode ammunition.
- Fireworks are especially deadly when correctly HOIK'd and they all detonate in a single spot to generate the highest achievable DPS in the game.
- 1.4 moves the Celebration, a lethal firework launcher that can be aimed at enemies, from the Moon Lord's drop table (being replaced by the Celebration Mk. II) to her inventory as a mid-Hardmode unlock.
Rose-Haired Sweetie: She's cheerful, optimistic and loves parties. She's the only female NPC besides the princess who doesn't become rude or grouchy during a Blood Moon.
Shout-Out: She basically is Pinkie Pie. She has blue eyes, dark pink hair with a distinctive curled lock, a love for parties, and so on. Two of her possible names are "Sparkle" and "Trixy". Furthermore, her Shimmered form sports blue clothes, pink eyes and rainbow hair, bringing Rainbow Dash to mind.

Wizard

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

I make a rather enchanting hot chocolate if you'd be inter... No? Ok.

The Wizard is an absent-minded, demented old man who dabbles in the arcane arts. He sells magical trinkets to train new apprentices.

Once the world is in hardmode, he can appear underground, bound. He sells the materials to make a variety of magical weapons.

Accidental Misnaming: He frequently calls you by the names of other NPCs of your character's gender.
Magic Librarian: He sells magic spellbooks you need for crafting.
Magic Versus Science: Hates having the Cyborg as a neighbour. He claims that the Cyborg is "a complete and total abomination to magic".
Nice Guy: He tries to be friendly to the player, but if a couple of his possible conversations are any indicator, it's not exactly working.
Playing with Fire: Uses the Flower of Fire to fight.
Robe and Wizard Hat: He's a wizard who wears a purple robe and pointed hat.
Scatterbrained Senior: Played for Laughs. The loading screen tool tip outright calls him "demented," and he doesn't do much to disabuse you of the notion.

Wizard: You call this lightning!? Back in my day, I... uh... Hmm. Oh, did you need something?

Shout-Out:
- "Someone once told me 'friendship is magic'. That's ridiculous, you can't turn people into frogs with friendship!"
- Shimmering shrouds his face in shadow with two yellow glowing eyes, greatly resembling the Black Mages from Final Fantasy.
Wizard Classic: He's got an impressive white beard, a starry purple robe, and a pointed hat. He even sells a Crystal Ball! (Snarky talking Owl familiar and Magic Staff sold separately.)

Tax Collector

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

You already managed to spend every pence I paid you!? Bah, I'm not a charity, go kill a slime!

This grumpy Tax Collector has literally been to Hell and back. Greedy to a fault, he's truly only concerned with money.

The Tax Collector moves in after you sprinkle a Tortured Soul, found in the Underworld in Hardmode, with Purification Powder. Every in-game hour (a minute in real time), he will collect 50 copper from each NPC that is living in a house up to a limit of 10 gold.

And I Must Scream: He's trapped in the underworld until you decide to free him.
Cane Fu: Uses his Classy Cane to fight.
The Friend Nobody Likes: Only two NPCs like living near him, one of whom is the Angler. Everybody he likes to live near dislikes or hates him in turn.
Grumpy Old Man: Very old, and one of the rudest NPCs in the game.
Everyone Has Standards: He dislikes the Corruption, Crimson and Dungeon if he is living there.
Tax Collector: Even for my standard, the Corruption/Crimson/Dungeon is beyond miserable! Bah!
Heel–Face Turn: He goes from a hostile monster down in the underworld to a recruit-able NPC if you have some purification powder handy.
Intergenerational Friendship: Implied to be the case with the Angler, of all people. This is one of the few departures he makes from his pedigree, as classic Scrooge hated kids before his Heel–Face Turn. On the other hand, this is the Angler we're talking about here.
Jacob Marley Apparel: When you first meet him as the Tortured Soul, he wears tattered clothes and he carries around chains. Once you purify him, his clothes magically turn back to normal.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's apparently very kind to the Princess.
Sex for Services: Hinted at in one of his dialogues, though it didn't end well for him.
Tax Collector: Tried to get [the Dryad] to pay me with favors once, now I have fungus growing in strange places.
The Scrooge: He's based off of this, right down to the personality. He even hates Santa Claus (and Santa Claus is not too fond of him as a neighbor as well). Unfortunately for everybody involved, he's based off pre-character development Scrooge.
Tax Collector: I loathe the very existence of Santa Claus! What kind of lunatic just gives things away for free?
Ungrateful Bastard: He's created by purifying his Tortured Soul. Anybody would think that would give him a more kinder demeanour in his new lease on life, but sadly, that is not the case.
- Then again, the taxes he collects go straight to you, so he's not entirely ungrateful. He also has a few lines where he isn't so sour about giving you his money.
- Because he's immediately changed into a new character when you purify him and only has his standard dialogue (same as he uses when he's in your town), he can't even acknowledge that you just saved him. (This is unlike other NPCs that you save such as the Mechanic and the Goblin Tinkerer, who do have appropriate lines for thanking you.)
Unique Enemy: As a Tortured Soul. Once he's saved, the Tortured Soul will never appear again in the whole game.

Truffle

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

You haven't seen any pigs around here have you? My brother lost his leg to one.

Harnessing the hidden power of the glowing mushroom, the Truffle forges weapons and tools exclusively in his mushroom house.

The Truffle will only move into a house within a surface mushroom biome during hardmode and cannot be moved anywhere outside of it. He sells mushroom stuff.

Drone Deployer: Of a sort. He creates explosive spores that hover in the air when threatened.
The Friend Nobody Likes: He's at odds with everyone but the Dryad and the Guide (if the living preferences are anything to go by, in case of the latter). The Clothier and the Witch Doctor have even gone as far as to try eating him.
Getting High on Their Own Supply: One of his dialogue pieces has him mention that he licked himself once after hearing it was a popular thing to do, and that it left him seeing blue for a while.
Mushroom Man: They don't call him "the Truffle" just for laughs — he's a big humanoid Glowing Mushroom who walks around, sells various mushroom-themed goods, and really wishes your other villagers would stop trying to eat him. All of his possible names are kinds of mushrooms or toadstools to boot, too. He'll also release spores as a means to attack enemies.
Nonhumans Lack Attributes: He appears to be completely nude, yet being a Mushroom Man, doesn't exactly have anything that needs to be covered.
Shout-Out: He doesn't know the "Truffle Shuffle", so stop asking.
What the Hell, Player?: He calls you out for "stealing his children."

Pirate

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

I'm no landlubber, but it's better to have lubbed and lost than never to have lubbed at all.

Ahoy! The only good Pirate Captain is... one that sells cannons and weapons to take out all competing Pirate Captains.

The pirate moves in after defeating the Pirate Invasion and sells cannons primarily, and some other things.

Defeat Equals Friendship: He looks and fights exactly like the Pirate Captain enemy, which may imply he elected to join the winning side after you trounced his invasion.
Ghost Pirate: He becomes one when Shimmered, complete with a transparency effect and glowing white eyes.
Pirate Parrot: Which you can buy as a pet, but it requires him in the ocean and costs two platinum coins. The Cyborg also implies the Pirate has one of his own after exclaiming how corrosive its droppings are to him.
Renowned Selective Mentor: He has a soft spot for Angler and wants to raise him to be a pirate.
Talk Like a Pirate: His manner of speaking.

Steampunker

^{Click here to see her Shimmered form}

I like your... gear. Does it come in brass?

The Steampunker has a particular taste for steam-fueled machinery and gadgets. She sells her gizmos with an endearing accent.

The Steampunker moves in if you have beaten at least one hardmode boss. She sells a variety of high-tech, Steampunk gizmos.

All Periods Are PMS: During a Blood Moon. Notably, she only has one Blood Moon-exclusive quote warning the player that she's feeling peevish; aside from that, her dialogue is the same as always.
Gadgeteer Genius: Together with the Mechanic, she created the Cyborg.
Magic Versus Science: Dislikes having the Dryad and Wizard as neighbours.
Sky Pirates: She may mention that she's beginning to consider becoming one.
Smart People Speak the Queen's English: She has distinctly RP speech patterns, and provides some of the most high-tech gear in the game.
Steampunk: It's in her title, and she sells a lot of industrial-looking gadgets.
Wrench Wench: This girl is extremely tech savvy, building and selling some of the most high end machinery in the game like jetpacks and teleporters. She occasionally expresses curiosity about the workings of the Cyborg.

Cyborg

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

Sometimes I come off a bit... Get it? A bit?

The Cyborg was built with the combined effort of the Mechanic and the Steampunker to aid in rocket science and world defense.

The cyborg will move in once you have defeated Plantera and collected a rocket launcher. He sells rockets.

Ambidextrous Sprite: Either his optical enhancement is more like goggles for both eyes or they can swap between eyes based on how the eye that's shown is always covered.
Arm Cannon: Uses one that can either fire Missiles or Proximity Mines to defend himself.
Cyborg: Well, yeah.
Expo Speak Gag: "My expedition efficiency was critically reduced when a projectile impacted my locomotive actuator."
Grenade Launcher: Or a Proximity Mine Launcher to be exact.
Logic Bomb: Completely unaffected. In-fact, he makes a joke of it.
Magic Versus Science: Hates having the Wizard as a neighbour.
Stuff Blowing Up: Many of his items involve explosions, excluding the nanites.

Zoologist

^{Click here to see her Shimmered forms}

I love animals, like, a lot! I tried to pet this weird looking fox one time, he sooo bit me, and now I became like one! Rad!

The Zoologist, resident lycanthrope, adores animals. Her fox-like biology resulted from a cursed animal bite.

Showing up after the current world's bestiary has been filled to at least 10%, the Zoologist provides buyable rewards in the form of pets, animal-themed cosmetics and weapons depending on the moon phase and how much of the bestiary that has been filled. She prefers living in the Forest biome, and likes living with the Golfer and the Witch Doctor, but hates the Desert, and does not like living with the Angler and the Arms Dealer. Confirmed to be the Golfer's sister.

Animal Lover: She makes it clear that she absolutely adores all of them.
Cute Monster Girl: She sports a pair of red fox ears, and a fluffy fox tail, all of which are confirmed to be real, but still looks identifiably human-ish most of the time until full moon or blood moon rolls around.
Genius Ditz: A Valley Girl who admits that she "may not know, like, a whole lot", but she is good at her job.
Heroic Willpower: Most werebeasts you find in-game attack you without a second thought, but she's managed to keep enough control of herself to avoid lashing out when she turns, even at her most hated neighbors.
In the Hood: Her shimmered form puts her in a hoodie.
Ms. Fanservice: Easily the bustiest of all the female villagers, she even wears a top that exposes as much cleavage as you can with a few pixels.
Our Werebeasts Are Different: She is a werefox who turns into a more beastly looking form during full moons and blood moons, but remains friendly during said transformations, even if her dialogue is way more agitated if not in a forest biome. That being said, she still remains a Little Bit Beastly in her human form.
Redhead In Green: Has orange-red hair and wears a green tanktop.
Valley Girl: Has the speech patterns of one, at any rate. Just look at her quote up there.
Wonderful Werewolf: She's genuinely okay with her curse, and is mostly capable of controlling herself when transformed, although she gets antsy around certain people or environments.

Golfer

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

To strike high, strike far, or to get unstuck? It's all about the club you use. Choose wisely!

The Golfer is a wise, middle-aged man who sells all sorts of golfing equipment. He's got game and knows how to score.

The Golfer can be found stuck in the Underground Desert and talking to him will free him and allow him to move into a suitable house. He sells various items and equipment both to play golf and create golf courses. He prefers the Forest biome much like his implied sister and prefers living with her, the Painter and the Angler especially but is at odds with the greedy Pirate and Merchant. His inventory expands as your character's "golf score" counter advances which is based upon the total number of strokes taken and the distance golf balls have traveled.

Funny Animal: When Shimmered he becomes what looks to be an anthropomorphic dog, likely playing off of his sister's Werefox form.
I Know Madden Kombat: He tosses golf balls at enemies if he is threatened.
Mini-Golf Episode: He sells stuff that allows you to create golf courses.
Odd Friendship: He's one of the few people who actually likes having Angler around. He even lampshades it by declaring it "unpopular opinion". Some dialogue indicates that he often pays the Angler to help him recover any golf balls that fall into bodies of water.

Princess

^{Click here to see her Shimmered form}

I'm so happy to finally travel the world, and meet new people!

Shy and innocent, this happy young lady sees the positive in everything, and everybody. She appreciates all of her subjects, from all walks of life.

A kind and friendly girl who appears when all the other town NPCs (except Santa Claus) have moved in to your world. She sells princess-themed decorative and vanity items. She is unique in that she has no preferences for biome or company, loves every single town NPC and is not negatively affected by overcrowding. She also does not contribute to overcrowding and is liked by every other town NPC.

All-Loving Hero: Thinks highly even of the meaner NPCs and is adored by them in term, and is also actively engaging in diplomacy with some of the monsters in the game with the intention of making peace with them.
Authority in Name Only: She's titled as the princess, but she never actually does anything or takes authority. If anything, the player is the real leader, as they're the one defending the town, and building and sorting homes for the townsfolk, including the princess.
Cheerful Child: She's extremely friendly and positive, getting along well with every other town NPC. The only thing that makes her unhappy is being alone.
Cool Crown: She wears the Royal Tiara, which the player can buy from her.
Department of Redundancy Department: One of her potential names is "Hime," the Japanese word for Princess.
Everything's Better with Sparkles: She both drops and defends herself with the Resonance Scepter, a magic weapon that essentially kills things with magic pink sparkles.
Gratuitous Japanese: Several of her potential names are in Japanese, most of which are Meaningful Names.
Hates Being Alone: Having less than two town NPCs nearby instantly sets her unhappiness to its maximum value, and is pretty much the only thing that makes her unhappy.
Loved by All: She is liked by every single town NPC. Even normally rude characters, like the Angler and Tax Collector, are stated to be really nice to her.
Improbable Infant Survival: Just like the Angler, the Princess vanishes in a puff of smoke when killed, with her death message saying that she "left."
Innocent Blue Eyes: She has bright blue eyes, and is probably the nicest character in the game.
Magical Girl: Her youth, royalty, loving nature, pink hair and outfit, magical sparkle-shooting scepter and several Gratuitous Japanese potential names pretty much make her one. The only things she's missing are a Transformation Trinket and Transformation Sequence.
Meaningful Name: Several of her names are Gratuitous Japanese, and translate into something relevant to the character.
- Ai translates to "love."
- Hikari translates to "light."
- Hime translates to "princess."
- Yuuki translates to "excellence, superiority," or "gentleness," combined with "hope", "brightness" or "living."
Nice Girl: She loves being around every single town NPC, and doesn't have a single person she dislikes. She even has nice things to say about the Angler and Tax Collector.
Perky Goth: Even when doused with shimmer turning her outfit black and her hair white, she still retains her cheeriness.
Pink Means Feminine: Her outfit, attack, and many of her wares are all pink.
Princess: Pink is the best color anyone could ask for!
Politically-Active Princess: Some of her quotes mention trying to communicate diplomatically with the Snow Queen and Pumpking, and trying to deal with "the organized crime problem among snowfolk."
Princess: The Pumpking can be rather two-faced, it seems. I shall not give up on peace with his spooky people!
Princess Classic: She definitely fits the bill, being a shy, cute, feminine, and innocent young girl.
Rose-Haired Sweetie: She has light-pink hair that matches her dress, and is probably the nicest character in the game.
Shout-Out:
- The list of potential names for her includes Ariel and Belle. A few of her other names, like Sophia and Rosetta, may also be references to Disney properties. She can also be named Momo, the Japanese word for Peach.
- Two of the paintings she sells are also references. The title of Princess 64 is an obvious reference to Super Mario 64 and resembles a depiction of Peach's castle from that game, while Dark Side of the Hallow is a reference to Dark Side of the Moon and resembles the art for that album.
Super-Cute Superpowers: Her weapon, the Resonance Scepter, causes pink rings to spawn on enemies to damage them. Despite its cutesy, Magical Girl-esque look, it has one of the highest DPS of any NPC in the game.
What's Up, King Dude?: Despite apparently being royalty, the Princess lives alongside all of your other town NPCs.

Santa Claus

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

What? You thought I wasn't real?

Only present during a specific time of year, Santa Claus makes a big entrance and an even bigger, rather explosive exit. Ho! Ho! Ho!

He will only move in if 1: It's around December 15th to 31st and 2: If you summon, and defeat the Frost Legion. He sells a variety of Christmas-themed decorative items, including christmas trees and trimmings.

Abnormal Ammo: He throws Christmas tree decorations at nearby enemies.
And Your Reward Is Clothes: Oh, and some decorative items too for beating the Frost Legion.
The Ghost: Not Santa himself, but his elves. He refers to them in his happiness quotes, despite them never appearing outside of the Frost Moon event.
Holiday Mode: Santa only appears during December 15th to 31st, promptly dying in the usual gory explosion as soon as the new year hits.
Shout-Out: He appears to become Ded Moroz when transformed with Shimmer.

Other NPCs

These NPCs can be encountered on occasion while exploring the world, but will not join the player's town(s).

Traveling Merchant

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/npc_0026_travelling_merchant.png

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

Hmm, you look like you could use an Angel Statue! They slice, and dice, and make everything nice!

The flamboyantly-dressed Travelling Merchant travels far and wide to bring unique, cultural wares from time to time.

An NPC introduced in 1.2.3 that has a random chance of spawning every day once the player has at least two NPCs moved in and no other daytime events are occurring (goblin invasion, pirate invasion, eclipse). Unlike other NPCs, he does not move into a home and instead wanders around near where your home is. He carries a random list of goods each time he appears.

Badass Cape: He can sell one of four possible vanity capes.
Booze-Based Buff: Sake sometimes shows up which grants the tipsy (de)buff for twice as long as ale.
Energy Bow: After defeating Plantera, one of the possible items that can be purchased is the Pulse Bow. He also uses it to shoot down enemies.
Far East: His outfit in his Shimmered appearance, along with some of the goods he sells (including foods like pho and sake along with items like a karate gi and a katana), all give him the impression of hailing from such a place.
Katanas Are Just Better: One of the possible items that can be bought. It's also one of the few pre-hardmode swords with autoswing and has a respectable attack range, so at least early on, they really are better.
Killer Yo-Yo: Has a random chance of selling One Drop's Code 1 yo-yo or the Code 2 when in hardmode, he can also sell two of the counterweights that the Skeleton Merchant does not.
Revolvers Are Just Better: A possible item he can sell after a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart has been smashed.
The Gunslinger: Attacks enemies with his Revolver when threatened pre-hardmode.
The Straight and Arrow Path: When Hardmode comes along, he switches out his Revolver for a Pulse Bow to attack enemies with.

Skeleton Merchant

^{Click here to see his Shimmered form}

You would not believe some of the things people throw at me... Wanna buy some of it?

Most skeletons are out for blood, but not the Skeleton Merchant. He just wants to sell supplies, such as rare torches and yo-yo gear.

Introduced in 1.3, the Skeleton Merchant has a random chance of spawning underground. Like the Traveling Merchant, he will not move into a home and will wander around the caverns. He carries a list of goods dependent on current time and moonphase.

Ballistic Bone: He throws bones at enemies when threatened.
Cruel and Unusual Death: One of his lines implies that he died by being caught by underground spiders, and they feasted on him until there was nothing left except bones. Oh, and he remembers it completely.
Dem Bones: He's a skeleton.
Dungeon Shop: He's a merchant that tends to spawn when you're spelunking in monster-filled caverns.
Earn Your Happy Ending: A minor example. He finally finds the hand he lent someone during the credits after griping about it in some of his dialogue.
Friendly Skeleton: He isn't hostile like the other skeletons you find underground.
Friendly Zombie: His Shimmered form restores his flesh, turning him into a zombie. His demeanor, however, does not change.
Glove Slap: During a Hardmode Blood Moon, he carries a glove on a stick, while its damage is mediocre, it has knockback on par with weapons like the Paladin's Hammer and Golem Fist.
Killer Yo-Yo: He can sell the various yo-yo Counterweights that send out a tiny, orbiting counterweight upon attacking an enemy and during Hardmode, he not only can sell two unique yo-yos but also the Yoyo Glove that allows the equivalent of Dual Wielding two of the same yo-yo at once.
Metal Slime: A non-enemy version. He only spawns rarely in the Cavern layer, and unlike most other NPCs, his presence is not shown by an announcement. Furthermore, some of his items are only available at very specific times, meaning that you'll need to get very lucky at the right time to get, say, a Magic Lantern.
My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Unlike other skeletons (and zombies, in regards to his Shimmered form), the Skeleton Merchant doesn't show any hostility to the player. All he wants is to sell his stuff.
Snake Oil Salesman: Referenced in one of his quotes:

"There's no illness or condition that can't be cured by some of my Slime Oil! Trust me, it works, just look at my lively figure!"

Shout-Out: Several of his names are shout outs to other skeleton or advertiser characters.
Species Loyalty: A downplayed example. Skeletons don't attack him, and he ignores them in kind whether or not they're busy attacking his customers.

Critters

From left to right, row to row: Squirrel, Bunny, Monarch Butterfly, Bird, Duck, Penguin, Goldfish, Blue Fairy

Critters spawn in certain environments and are completely harmless and all of them can be caught using the bug net sold by the Merchant and put into bottles or Terrariums. These include birds, cardinals, blue jays, ducks, mallards, owls, grebes, seagulls, bunnies, squirrels, turtles, fireflies, butterflies, ladybugs, goldfish, pupfish, dolphins, seahorses, sea turtles, fairies, worms, grasshoppers, dragonflies, water striders, mice, rats, maggots, snails, scorpions, black scorpions, penguins, frogs, buggies, sluggies, grubbies, jungle turtles, lightning bugs, glowing snails and truffle worms. There is also lavaflies, magma snails and hell butterflies in the Underworld, which cannot be caught with a normal bug net and are required if you wish to fish in lava without the Hotline Fishing Hook.

Adaptational Wimp: Dolphins in real life are capable of taking on and even defeating sharks by ramming them. Over here, their status as 5HP critters means that a dolphin touching a shark causes the former to explode into gibs instantly.
Animalistic Abomination: The Corrupted forms of penguins, goldfish, and bunnies. Considering that the Corruption has a reputation for spawning minor Eldritch Abominations, this comes part and parcel. Their crimtane versions in Crimson worlds are even worse.
Bunnies for Cuteness: Bunnies spawn at random and you can even catch one to put into a terrarium to keep. Although they become less cute during Blood Moons.
Captain Obvious: Fairies might lead you to treasure chests you've already been to, as long as there's still something left in them.
Department of Redundancy Department: There is a golden version of the Goldfish... it is called the Gold Goldfish. It does look slighly different than a regular one, having a metallic texture to it.
Fairy Companion: If a fairy comes to you, they can show you treasure if you follow their lead. Once they take you to where they want you, they disappear.
Gold Makes Everything Shiny: 1.3 brought about gold versions of many critters, which are very rare and worth 10 gold coins each. If they're bait critters then they have 50% bait power. 1.4 also included gemstone versions of bunnies and squirrels in the Cavern layer that spawn if you have enough NPCs for a village.
Killer Rabbit: During a Blood Moon, Bunnies, Goldfish and Penguins become Corrupted/Crimtane versions of themselves. They're still as small, but far more lethal.
Metal Slime: Truffle worms, they burrow away the moment you get too close and spawn rarely. 1.3 introduces gold variants of various critters, which still have the paper-thin durability of regular critters. If you manage to catch them, golden critters net you a handsome 10 gold when sold off — or you can cook them into the Golden Delight, one of the few sources of the Exquisitely Stuffed buff, and by far the longest-lasting at a whopping 48 minutes. The truffle worm, however, is used for summoning Duke Fishron.
No-Sell: Unlike other critters, dolphins and sea turtles cannot be caught with a bug net.
Number of the Beast: The Truffle Worm's bait power is 666%.
One-Hit-Point Wonder: Although they actually have 5 HP, they have zero defense and literally any attack will instantly kill them unless it was a weak starting weapon such as the Wooden Hammer.
Tailfin Walking: When it rains, goldfish shuffle about on land on their tails.
Underground Monkey: In a literal case, you can find bejeweled versions of bunnies and squirrels in the Underground level.

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